IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan => Topic started by: smeltbuster on Jan 05, 2021, 02:17 PM
-
Hey everyone,time to fire up this thread! 1st. up, as of today,south bay is locked up & has been for a few days. 2nd. bay is about 2/3 locked up. Plan to check the ice tomorrow. There were a couple of guys that got on this past Sat.,but said that it was very sketchy. The rest of the lake is wide open. Hoping for some decent Smelt fishing this year. Marked quite a few big clouds of baitfish (Smelt?) this summer. Will keeep ya posted on what I find.
-
Looking forward to your posts Smeltbuster. We were only able to get out twice on the North end of the main lake last year. Hoping the ice develops earlier and stays later this year. Good luck & tight lines...
-
Looking forward to your posts Smeltbuster. We were only able to get out twice on the North end of the main lake last year. Hoping the ice develops earlier and stays later this year. Good luck & tight lines...
Glad to see your still around ! Smelt jr. & me were wondering about you 2 days ago ! Hoping to meet up w/ ya soon !
-
Love the Gull Lake thread. Saw the guys on the camera. The western 1/2 of the south bay was open water a few days prior so keep that in mind once it is safe. Ice conditions vary greatly on first ice pretty much every lake you encounter. I've had good years and bad years in the bay with pannies on first ice. Don't get into the smelt much anymore except to catch Laker and pike bait.
-
Oh yeah!! Here we go....green light army!
-
1st. ice report: South bay is locked up but I could not get on. still too thin.Have some potential bad news. The access at the south end is still available to use, however, there is a barricade & a sign stating that no sleds or snowmobiles are allowed. This has been put there,by the new owner of the store. I fear that some slobs will tear it down or remove sections of the split rail fence so they can get sleds down to the lake. We are 1 step away from loosing the only access on the south end of the lake. We lost the salon on 2nd. bay 3 yrs. ago. Its gonna happen,just a matter of when.The lake is down about 2-3' because they are replacing the dam on Gull creek. Refilling is scheduled to start in a couple of weeks. The lake is locked up to about 2/3 up 2nd. bay. The rest of the lake is wide open. They are also now plowing the snow at Baseline rd. right down to the lake,thus making it very hard to gain access there. About a 3' high snow bank blocking the access. Going to call Ross & Prarieville Twps. about this problem.Slobs have been messing it up for so many years,the landowners are probably trying to shut those access sites down. If you fish south bay,make sure to go in the store & buy something & thank them for the access to the lake. I am going to stop in & ask about doing the garbage can on the dock again. We really need to be careful about this one.
-
Good report smeltbuster. I'm from Indiana and have never fished Gull but no matter where we fish we all need to be concerned about access and how we take care of the access and the ice we use!!!
-
Quite a few guys on south bay this morning. The rest of the lake is starting to skim over.Hoping to get out,later today.
-
1st. ice report: South bay is locked up but I could not get on. still too thin.Have some potential bad news. The access at the south end is still available to use, however, there is a barricade & a sign stating that no sleds or snowmobiles are allowed. This has been put there,by the new owner of the store. I fear that some slobs will tear it down or remove sections of the split rail fence so they can get sleds down to the lake. We are 1 step away from loosing the only access on the south end of the lake. We lost the salon on 2nd. bay 3 yrs. ago. Its gonna happen,just a matter of when.The lake is down about 2-3' because they are replacing the dam on Gull creek. Refilling is scheduled to start in a couple of weeks. The lake is locked up to about 2/3 up 2nd. bay. The rest of the lake is wide open. They are also now plowing the snow at Baseline rd. right down to the lake,thus making it very hard to gain access there. About a 3' high snow bank blocking the access. Going to call Ross & Prarieville Twps. about this problem.Slobs have been messing it up for so many years,the landowners are probably trying to shut those access sites down. If you fish south bay,make sure to go in the store & buy something & thank them for the access to the lake. I am going to stop in & ask about doing the garbage can on the dock again. We really need to be careful about this one.
Hey smeltbuster? When you say NO SLEDS do you mean the Jet Sled types that you pull by hand? Just curious.
-
Hey smeltbuster? When you say NO SLEDS do you mean the Jet Sled types that you pull by hand? Just curious.
Thats what I am assuming,considering that there is a Barricade /fence that they built across, where you walk down. It says Pedestrians only, & is only wide enough to walk through. There are guys out there right now w/ sleds. I plan to go very light,when I go & will carry a small Jet sled & my gear down to the lake.The sign is was put up by the landowner. Its not like there is a lakewide ban on sleds. Dont know the reasoning for it,but I will try to find out.
-
Watching the baycam this morning. Lots of Trespassing going on.
-
Had a decent first night on the ice last night. Crappie were tight lipped but managed a few. The small smelt are back in the Bay again this year & stole quite a bit of my bait last night. Saw a couple small Pike brought in on tip ups but not keepers.
I went out when the crowds were gone, and I gotta say I was pretty disgusted with the amount of trash left on the ice after one day of fishing. Not a good start to the year.
-
Had a decent first night on the ice last night. Crappie were tight lipped but managed a few. The small smelt are back in the Bay again this year & stole quite a bit of my bait last night. Saw a couple small Pike brought in on tip ups but not keepers.
I went out when the crowds were gone, and I gotta say I was pretty disgusted with the amount of trash left on the ice after one day of fishing. Not a good start to the year.
Imagine that ::) A******s!!! :%$#!:
-
People really need to get a clue about the trash. Most lakes that I fish aren't that bad. Gull seems to be one of the worst, I figured it was because of the drunks with smelt fishing at night. I guess I'm wrong. They are ruining it for all of us. Just plan old SLOBS :icefish: :%$#!:
-
Hey Smeltman "HI"! I just got home from my 1st. smelt trip of the year, on south bay. I had Fun! never had a bite,didn't mark anything but it was still good to get out. Lots of holes out there & very little trash tonight. I was the only one trying for smelt. There were 3 guys Crappie fishing,but I dont think they were doin much. Hoping to get on 2nd. bay in a couple of days. Also, for any of you that want to get some of those Gull Lake Smelt Flies,they are available at the following places. The Outdoorsman Pro shop in Jenison, Bargain world in Hudsonville,Kens sport shop in Delton, Gull Lake Party store on the North end (also excellent Indian food), Capt. Mo's on South bay & D&R Sports in Kalamazoo. I will also be selling them on the ice if you can find me ! NFS in Battle Creek. Message me if you are in the area & want some. Hoping to start posting more nightly reports. Also, about 3 1/2"-4" of ice on the bay.
-
Imagine that ::) A******s!!! :%$#!:
The scumbags that are littering the ice won't stop because we tell them to do so on this forum. They probably can't figure out how to turn a computer on let alone find this forum.
-
The scumbags that are littering the ice won't stop because we tell them to do so on this forum. They probably can't figure out how to turn a computer on let alone find this forum.
OH believe me, they can see & respond to this stuff. Posted something on a FB page yesterday about all the trespassing going on out there. Some of the comments were absolutely disgusting. I am no longer on that page. From the responses I got, I figure south bay will be shut down w/ in 2 yrs. if not this year. The loosers think that Gull is a public lake & they can go across any property to get on it. They are going to find out that is not the case. Maybe a trespass ticket will change their minds. Just sayin..............
-
OH believe me, they can see & respond to this stuff. Posted something on a FB page yesterday about all the trespassing going on out there. Some of the comments were absolutely disgusting. I am no longer on that age. From the responses I got, I figure south bay will be shut down w/ in 2 yrs. if not this year. The loosers think that Gull is a public lake & they can go across any property to get on it. They are going to find out that is not the case. Maybe a trespass ticket will change their minds. Just sayin..............
My point is the losers aren't going to stop just because we tell them to do so on this forum. They are big time losers and just don't care. You just can't fix stupid. Luckily I have access, but still their actions piss me off.
-
My point is the losers aren't going to stop just because we tell them to do so on this forum. They are big time losers and just don't care. You just can't fix stupid. Luckily I have access, but still their actions piss me off.
I agree. the store access is my only spot on the south end. I dont really fish there very much. Just sad too see so much disrespect. We have lost so many access points the past 20 yrs. because of slobs. They just dont care. I was really surprised to see that the barricade was still up yesterday. The baycam also showed lots of guys walking on @ the Jaqua dock. Very few guys have permission to do that. Pretty sad.
-
I agree. the store access is my only spot on the south end. I dont really fish there very much. Just sad too see so much disrespect. We have lost so many access points the past 20 yrs. because of slobs. They just dont care. I was really surprised to see that the barricade was still up yesterday. The baycam also showed lots of guys walking on @ the Jaqua dock. Very few guys have permission to do that. Pretty sad.
I talked to a few guys on the ice today and I can tell you that barricade they have up is the reason many are trespassing at Jaqua...they can't get their flip shanty's over the barricade. It's no excuse for trespassing, but that's likely the reason we're seeing more people getting on an Jaqua.
The barricade is intended to keep snowmobilers away, but in my opinion that's pretty silly because in the decades I've been fishing the south bay I can count on one hand how many snowmobiles I've seen get on there! There's one guy with a SnowDog that occasionally gets on there, but that's about it.
FYI I caught ONE smelt tonight in South Bay. One. ;D
-
Never seen a snowmobile come down those steps. As for catching a smelt tonight; You Da Man :bow: :thumbsup: :clap:. I am going to try for 2nd. bay Tues. nite. Maybe I can catch 2 ;D.
-
Hey Smeltbuster, always appreciate you dropping your knowledge. We will be heading out on Saturday to search for some smelt and lakers. If you made it out to the second bay, how much ice was out there? Just curious, do you find any luck prior to dusk? I had my daughter on the ice a few years ago, hoping for some gills, and she caught her first smelt at 4pm! Here's to a great season! :thumbsup:
-
Hoping to try for 2nd. bay tonight. Trying to get someone to go w/ me in case I have issues. Fished for Gills yesterday on south bay & had no luck. There is about 4" on south bay. As for smelt biting before dark: YES it happens especially on cloudy days. Usually the last 1 1/2 hrs. of daylight, On bottom. I would'nt get your hopes up too high for lakers. There are still a few in there. If you try for them on 2nd. bay,use shiners 1/2 way down to bottom in 50' + depths. The rest of the lake is pretty much locked up but still unsafe. Checked the bible conf. yesterday & there were still a few open pockets of water. Also checked out the new dam on Gull Creek. Looks like it will be a while before it is done. The lake level should remain low until it is done. Dont know what will happen to the ice, once it starts coming back up. One more thing on the smelt: I marked a TON of baitfish this past summer while trolling. Hopefully ,most of them were smelt. Did catch 1 Laker this year. Potted out & full of smelt & plastics.
-
According to the website, the spillway will be opened up on 01/25.
-
According to the website, the spillway will be opened up on 01/25.
Thank you sir ! Forgot about the website. As for fishing 2nd. bay tonight, No Way. There is a very defined line in the ice at the narrows between South & 2nd. bays. The ice on the north side is JUNK. Tried it in 3 different spots & my spud went thru w/ 1-2 wacks about 18"-24" north of the line. Did hear of 2 guys walking out there last night & they told a guy that they shouldn't have done it. They did catch some smelt, I was told. I did get some nice gills tonight on south bay. They were biting pretty good for me & another guy. I will keep checking the ice on the lake @ access points. As for now,it will be at least 2-3 weeks before the north end is ready. Thats if Ma Nature cooperates.
-
Quick update; A fair amount of the lake is opened back up,but should lock up this week. South bay is fishable but use caution. Fishing is spotty. I had 2 afternoons of decent gill fishing. Today,lots of dinks & no keepers. Seen 2 guys walk on 2nd. bay tonight from south bay. Dont know how they made it out there,but they did. I checked it 3 days ago & it was bad. Everyone was watching them to see if they were going to get wet. I will keep posting every few days on what I find. Also, Gull Lake Smelt Flies are now available @ Smitty's sport shop in Battle Creek, in the Urbandale area, near the M-37 & M-89 intersection. This makes 7 busineses that are now carrying them. Coming next year: 5 fly & 2 fly pre tied rigs, w/ a snap swivel to add a Hali. Hoping to get the flies into other parts of the state, but its a 1 man operation ran by a guy that loves to hunt & fish.Sometimes that messes w/ production !
-
Thanks Smeltbuster for your report. I am itching to get down there. I might have to wait for the north end to get enough ice. Or come down and start knocking on some doors to get access on the south end.
-
Lots of guys on the bay cam today. Anyone e doing any good?
-
Has anyone been out to see if the ice is holding up for this weekend?
-
Has anyone been out to see if the ice is holding up for this weekend?
While I am stuck at work, I'm watching a bout 6 guys on the south bay fishing right now.
-
Have not been able to get out this week due to stuff gettin in the way. Did drive by south bay yesterday & that ice looks fine. I have heard of a couple of guys going out on 2nd. bay from the south end & did see some tracks out that way. Without checking the ice myself,I cannot say its safe. Last week it was very thin. We have only had a couple of days of cold weather ,so hoping that thickens it up. I will try to check it Sat. morning. Cant fish tonight ,but I want to tomorrow night. Will also see whats happening @ the bible conf., & the rest of the lake. I was on 2 different area lakes yesterday & each of them had about 3" of ice, w/ some bad spots mixed in. South Bay is getting hammered hard by guys chasing Gills & Crappie. Personally, I would'nt waste my time doing that right now. Fished it last Sat. night & only caught Dinks. Hoping to start chasing Smelt Soon ! Sorry for a lack of reports,but who wants reports of thin or no ice ?
-
Ice report from Smelt jr.,The lake is wide open from just north of the Bible conf. all the way to the north end. As of last night ,there was still a few spots of open water @ the bible conf.
-
Hey Fellow fishermen: any smelt being caught on Gull Lake yet this seson?
-
Lots of guys on south bay this morning, but did not see much catching. Guys fishing @ the Bible conf. but not a lot of area to fish.Still open water or unsafe ice. Seen some tracks headed toward 2nd. bay, not sure if they were from someone smelt fishing, or just walking. Dont expect very many reports about smelt until the whole lake locks up. Last year 2nd. bay was very spotty w/ lots of small smelt. Hoping to have some better news in the next few days.
-
2nd. bay report; 3 1/2"-4" of ice. Was able to fish Sat night & there were a few others out there too. Ended the night w/ 35 Smelt. Most of them small, just like last year. Good news/ bad news. The salon is open for parking & access to the lake again, after being shut down for 3 yrs. I talked w/ them today & we are good to go. Just be respectful of the folks that live in the area . As for the bad news, the south bay access across the street from the party store looks like it might be gone. The guy that owns the "Chicken House" next to the parking area has been telling guys he is going to have their vehicles towed if they park there. Along w/ several others today, I found a note on my windshield telling me not to park there anymore. Pretty sure the party store owns the property where these notes are being posted. I WILL get a straight answer on this situation w/in the next few days. Parking for ice fishing has always been allowed. If they stop this, they will loose a LOT of business from icefishermen. On the other hand, Trespassing is common on south bay,along w/ parking w/out permission. Most of the lake is locked up, pray for cold temps & no snow. Expect more smelt reports , gonna do my best to get out as much as I can !
-
Anybody been out?
-
Anybody been out?
Yes, Sun night I caught 64, Mon. night 32. Sun. night there were a total of 4 groups. Mon. night it was 7-10 groups. There is a fair amount of open water from Hickory point to the south,down to north of the island.I will start checking Baseline rd. on Wed. , The boat launch @ the north end has some open water but that should lock up in a day or 2. I will also try to get some info on the Bible conf. ice conditions tomorrow, if time allows it. The steps down to the lake @ the party store on South bay are no longer an access point,we lost it. Not sure about parking there either. The guy that owns the "Chicken House" is a real jerk. He has threatened several guys w/ towing their vehicles if they park there. 1BIG Problem, He does not own the property. Hoping to talk to the REAL landowner in a day or 2. Trying to keep ya informed as best I can. If you fish 2nd. bay & see a Clam "Jason Mitchell" hub shanty, stop by & say "Hi" .
-
Thank you SMELTBUSTER for the awesome updates on the ice conditions. Was thinking about heading out this upcoming weekend - was hoping the North End was ready, but may hit the 2nd Bay.
-
Thank you for the updates smeltbuster. I'm hoping to get out on Gull Lake sometime soon chasing those smelt. How big are they running there this year?
-
Most of the smelt in 2nd. bay are 3"-4" long. Once in a while you will get a 7"-8"er. Been averaging 2 big ones per trip. The little ones are very light biters. Guys have been fishing almost all the way out to the north end of 2nd. bay,but I dont know how the ice is out there,or if they are doing any good. Last hr. of daylight & 1st. hr. of dark has been the best. We did not get as much snow as predicted, so I am hopeful that it wont ruin what ice we have. If you do fish the Bible conf., tread lightly & use a spud.
-
I was part of one of the groups Monday night. We fished in a camo popup blind just north of you smeltbuster. Water column was solid fish from 5' down to 50'. Didn't do well though. Was hard to be on point and ready to tug when ya got 3 people in a 1 man tent lol. Do you happen to know the 2gents that were by us sitting outside? I was watching them and they seemed to do fairly well.
-
I got out for the first time Monday night.
Was in the red XD250 next to smelt buster.
I missed the hot time and managed to slug out 13 by 11:00 but the majority of those were back around an hour after dark. Tried staying to see if they fired up again anytime later. Waste of time. Gave me a chance to fiddle with my Helix and get it dialed back in. But that was about it.
-
I was part of one of the groups Monday night. We fished in a camo popup blind just north of you smeltbuster. Water column was solid fish from 5' down to 50'. Didn't do well though. Was hard to be on point and ready to tug when ya got 3 people in a 1 man tent lol. Do you happen to know the 2gents that were by us sitting outside? I was watching them and they seemed to do fairly well.
Yessir I do know them & they ended up w/ 98. That was BOB, & his friend Ed. He was out again tonight & had about 40 when I left. I did not count tonight but it was around 20. The guy fishing w/ me had over 30. We caught almost all of our fish before 6:30 p.m.. Tonight Bob was getting them about 15' down. The past 2 nights have been tough for me, but Bob, my brother & the guy tonight have been doing better than me. & yes they are using the "Gull Lake Smelt Factory Ice Flies", that I tie. If you see Bob sitting out there, go over & talk to him for a few. Chances are, he will give you a few pointers. Ask him what his favorite fly is . Watch & learn,just dont ask too many questions & keep the visit short. He is a good friend of mine & I dont spend a lot of time talking to him on the ice , unless he fishes in my shanty. Also,forget eye contact w/ him or me for the most part. If we are fishing our eyes are on the rod tip. Moose 49017 when I came out today I seen your tracks, looks like you pulled an "All Nighter"! If the north end gets good enough I am going to be doing that a few times.
-
Where do I find those Rigs you Tie up Smeltbuster?
-
Where do I find those Rigs you Tie up Smeltbuster?
PM Sent.
-
Hi smeltbuster! I've seen you posting on this forum for years now, and I've also watched the live cam of the bay for years now. I've never lived closer than a 50 minute drive to the lake. But, I finally made it to Gull for a couple hours this past weekend mainly just to check it out. Didn't catch much, but was nice to finally be on the lake. I'm hoping to try for smelt this year, and I'd be interested in some of those smelt flies if you have extras. I am about to try some closer lakes today but would like to make it back to Gull in the next week or so. Thanks for always posting awesome reports!
-
PM Sent
-
Fished 2nd. Bay tonight & I ended up w/ 58 Smelt. most were caught 30' down in 59 FOW. Bumped into an old friend thats on here & met a new one thats on here . There was 7 or 8 other parties out tonight. The bite was good from about 6:45-7:30 p.m., had 7 doubles. As for Baseline rd., I checked it today & there is about 1" maybe 1 1/2" near shore. The ice cracked real bad when I hit it w/ my spud. I will be checking it again tomorrow ,on my way out. Will post what I find, late tomorrow night. Honestly, I think the 1st. safe fishable night will be Sunday at the earliest, we can hope & pray for Saturday,but time will tell. The lake is wide open from Hickory point, to the south,all the way down to just north of the Bible conf. . Seen a couple of guys quite aways out SW of the Bible conf. access today. No one is parking @ the south end access, looks like that one is History.Also, no one has been Crappie fishing South Bay the past 2 nights. Got a feeling its a waste of time. Guys have been hammering it for the past several yrs. & pretty sure the Crappies have been thinned out in that area. Same goes for Pike, on the week-ends south bay has been "Carpet Bombed" w/ tip-ups.
-
Was nice to meet you Buster! Thanks for the flies.
-
Smeltbuster, great seeing you last night and catching up on how you’re doing. We fished until 11:00 and decided to call it a night. Jeremy ended up with 21 and I ended up with 55. They all ran small but I’m sure they’ll crisp up and make a wonderful meal...Take care & be safe, see you on the ice.
-
7 nights in a row, this retirement thing is getting out of hand ;D. I ended up w/44 tonight & my brother had 43. Fished 2nd. bay 59' . At least 16 other parties out tonight. Marked very few fish & most of mine came 30' down. Had a few before dark. As for Baseline rd., Smelt jr. checked it tonight & said it was still "Sketchy". Him & I are going to check it in the morning. I honestly think it will be at least Sunday before we can get on, & that depends on how much snow we get tomorrow night. He did see 2 guys tip up fishing the north end tonight, but they trespassed onto private property to get on the lake. Plus,they were on ice that was open water 2 days ago :o. Sorry folks,not me. The 2nd. bay smelt fishing is hit or miss, more miss than hits. At least there are fish to be caught. Also, pretty much everyone out there has been very quiet. Only had 1 group this last week playing loud music. Its been very enjoyable. As for the south bay, I noticed tonight that there are "Private Property" signs up now. & it is blocked w/ snow fence. No one Crappie fishing tonight either. The land owners want this lake to be private, they have lots of $$$$$$ & thats probably going to happen,at least on the south end of the lake. As for the Salon access , pick up any trash you see, dont park in peoples yards & be QUIET when you are on shore.
-
Finally put a face with a name last night and met the infamous SMELTBUSTER! What a pleasure it was. I ended up with almost 40 as well and they were light bites! It seems the size of the fish are much smaller which makes sense considering the die off roughly 4 years back. Parked at the Salon and got there early - I foresee tickets and towing coming next -near the salon considering the number of vehicles on the roadway in front of houses and illegally parked - police were there when I got off the ice and asked if there was a party or if these were all Ice Fisherman. I was one of the lucky ones with an actual parking spot- SMELTBUSTER is correct, they "Lake Property Owners" do not want us on the lake for sure. I personally stopped in a gave the salon owner/renter some cash for parking in his lot, we would have to do that on the North End, so why not down on the South End? Anyway, had a great time, met some new friends and put a meal in the freezer! Looking forward to fishing the North End as long as the ice holds!
-
Fished the 2nd bay tonight didnt spend too long on the ice between the 3 of us we caught 30 smelt in 62 FOW. We caught them in all depths but most came from 10 foot under the ice. It was my first time fishing since the die off. I sure have missed it!
-
Mon. night smelt report; Had a pretty good night, I caught 110 & my fishin partner in a shanty next to me caught 39. We normally fish together in the same shanty, but this Covid thing has him on edge. The fish really started biting good around 8:30 p.m. for me.Before that, it was not looking good. Hoping to check the ice @ Baseline rd. Tues. afternoon.We ended up w/ about 3" of snow ,hoping it does'nt hurt what ice was already there. Hate to post this next part but I have to. PLEASE do not PM me asking if the ice is safe at Baseline rd. or the North End. I have been getting up to 10 PMs a day asking the same thing. We are checking it physically every few days & Smelt jr. is watching it every day. When it is safe I will let you know. Just understand I do not post on a phone, I use my laptop at home. So, if the ice is good one afternoon, I will be fishing that night & posting afterwards. We will not check it if we feel we might go for a polar plunge. When Smelt jr. & me do check it, we wear auto inflate PFDs, have a 50' rope tied to us ,use ice spikes & a spud. I have not gone thru the ice since 88' & dont plan to any time soon. Believe me, there is no one on here that wants to get after the smelt on north 1/2 of Gull more than me. I know what is there, I watch them all summer on my graph !
-
I talked to the dam project lead last week. Once construction is done on the spillway, they will open it, but at the same flow as the pass through pipes. They will do everything they can not to alter the water level during opening (it is a permit requirement) and don't plan to bring the water up until the normal time next spring. That should help keep from impacting ice formation. Now we just need nature to get on it. As for access, I'll look for opportunities as I talk to businesses in the area and the township. We keep losing these one at a time and it's a big problem.
-
What is everybody's favorite smelt set up?
-
Dianam, thanks for the update on the dam. I was worried that the ice was going to get messed up. We probably are going to loose the Salon again. Guys parking in the road & in peoples yards, plus being loud , late at night. Last night there were 2 groups that came out on the ice after 9:00 p.m. & they were making a fair amount of noise. One group left just ahead of me , & was in the parking lot being very noisy,shouting back & forth,slamming doors & revving up their loud trucks, around midnight. & then folks wonder why stuff gets shut down. Sadly its just a few loosers that are doing this. The ice is staying cleaner though. Should have an update on Baseline rd. late tonight.
-
What is everybody's favorite smelt set up?
Mine is 5 of my #16 smelt flies tied on short dropper loops about 10" apart,w/ a med,or heavy Hali jig on the bottom. The 4 1/2' long rig is tied on 4lb. ice line w/ a loop at the top to snap onto a small swivel on my 56" Patriot rod.Bait is spikes & Berkley gulp white maggots cut in half. I dont leave my hooks on my rod, the rig gets wrapped around a short piece of foam water pipe insulation. I only use 1 rod, seems to help w/ less missed fish.
-
Smelt jr. & me checked Baseline rd. Tues. afternoon. We got out about 100 yds, before we hit bad ice,
Had a report of guys fishing it tonight in 40' of water on about 1 1/2" of ice. Lets give it a few days. Got a feeling it will be ready by then. Scratched out another 87 Smelt tonight before 9:00 p.m. on 2nd. bay . They were biting good but I had to leave. 5 other parties out tonight.
-
We ended up with 167 on Monday. Hoping to get back out tonight. Really hoping to get onto the Northend after this cold snap, next week...Tim
-
Haven't marked much out here yet.
-
Fished in separate shanties tonight w/ my brother per Gubner Gretchies orders. Sounded like he was kicking my tail while we were fishing. Didnt even count my fish till I got up to shore. He had 56 & when I got done counting, I had the same # ;D. + 1 nice Perch. Makes sense, we were both using identical Smelt rigs ! Lots of guys out tonight,including Bob. He was the guy sitting on the ice ,south of everyone else. He got out there about 8:00p.m. & @ 9:30p.m. he had about 100 on the ice, I seen them ! The guy catches fish !
-
Yeah I started getting consistent marks shortly after I posted that. I think I kind of screwed myself I only had heavy halis with me last night that I used to use when the fish were bigger / the bite was harder. I was having a real hard time feeling the super light bites. Ended up with a few, will have to go to store today and get some lighter halis.
-
North side happening yet?
-
Couple cars in the north end lot. I didn't stop. Guys are fishing baseline.
-
Smelt jr. & me just checked Baseline rd., roughly 2- 2 1/2" of ice. Yes it looks like there was about 6-8 parties out last night. Picked up lots of trash & found a 22 1/2" pike that was left on the ice. Slushy mess 1st. 75 yds. & bad ice to the left 1st.50 yds. going out. Spud went thru several spots w/ 2 wacks.Cant honestly tell ya that its safe enough yet. Too many "Iffy" spots. 2 more days & it will be fine. Dont know about the north end boat launch. Have not got my pass yet, but I would be very careful w/ the creek up there. Also,still a fair amount of open water farther down the lake, but that should lock up in the next 2 days. We ended up w/ around 4"-5" of snow here.2nd. bay is still producing, even though the fish are small, the ice is good.
-
Thanks for the ice report man. I was just out driving by last night. I went to 3 lakes for a while to test out my new shanty.
-
I ditched the hali last night and caught around 60. Bite was super light and a buddy sight fished them about 8 foot down.
-
Have fished Baseline rd. the past few nights,fishing has been slow for me, 17,46,76. Guys are getting out quite a ways But I have not ventured out that far & dont know how the ice is or how they are doing. Still some open water farther down the lake.
-
How much ice was at baseline smeltbuster? And how far out did you go?
-
3" plus about 3-4" of frozen slush. The North end as of last night is still unsafe. With the lake being down, Smelt jr. told me that the creek flow is going right toward the docks. Shore ice was good but about 15' out it is very thin. He thinks another day or 2 & it might be good. Use Caution !
-
Fished the 2nd Bay on the south side last night. Ended up with 122, quit at 10:00 as the bite slowed way down. Smelt ran a little bigger last night, not sure why...Tim
-
Where is the best safest place to park on the south end to keep from getting towed?
-
Where is the best safest place to park on the south end to keep from getting towed?
The salon on the west side of 2nd. bay. Studio III is the name if you google it. You need to park across the street in front of the wood retainer wall. Access to the lake is available by going down the NORTH side of the building & past the gate at the boat ramp. You will have no problems if you follow the rules. Hey Fishin4smelt, I was wondering if you were still down there. From what I am seeing at Baseline.............. ...... Heck, I'll call ya tomorrow ! EDIT 73 smelt for me tonight @ baseline rd. . The north end is still not safe, Smelt jr. checked it Tues.(2/9) at about 4:30 p.m. The creek flow is really messing things up. Keep ya posted on that one. It appears that the entire lake is now LOCKED UP ! We just need to find those big smelt.
-
Fished Baseline last night & shared my shanty w/ "Smeltman" for a few hours. 1st. time we have actually fished together. We have known each other for several years & spent hours talking but never fished together. It was a good time.I ended the night w/ 118 smelt. Best night for me yet ,this year. They were still biting when I left.I will have Smelt jr. check the north end on the way out tonight. Most of the slush seems to be freezing & there is about 3"-4" of good ice. No machines running the lake yet,but pretty sure that will change in a day or 2. BTW,the smelt are still on the small side,dont know what happened to all the big ones.
-
Glad to see you guys getting out.
-
Heading out to baseline tomorrow night. Will post how we do.
-
Thank you Smeltbuster for your hospitality Wednesday night. It was an honor to fish with you. We will have to do it again soon... It was great to make my first trip down this year, Little rusty though. Next time i WILL be on my game. ;D.
-
Where’s the closest place to buy minnows? I heard there’s a bait shop on the south end of the lake?
-
Where’s the closest place to buy minnows? I heard there’s a bait shop on the south end of the lake?
There is no bait shop on the south end. The closest place is Ken's Sport shop in Delton.I think the address is 126 E. Orchard st. , its about 5 miles north of Gull.
-
There is no bait shop on the south end. The closest place is Ken's Sport shop in Delton.I think the address is 126 E. Orchard st. , its about 5 miles north of Gull.
Thanks! That doesn't sound too far away.
-
Either Ken's in Delton or the place in Galesburg on the main drag. Depending on where you're coming from, one might be on the way.
-
Or the hardware store in Plainwell if coming from the west.
-
Does anyone have an ice report for the north end?
-
Ace hardware in plainwell michigan. They have a decent selection of bait, crappie minnows and tip up minnows. Also some big sucker minnows once in a while. I was impressed at the selection of gear they had. Hope this helps.
-
Does anyone have an ice report for the north end?
As of Thursday it was still "Iffy", but I did see a guy walk out from there tonight. I would proceed w/ caution & use a spud. The creek flow seems to be different this year because the lake is down. Be Careful. I will try to have Smelt jr. check it Sat. morning. Lots of guys out from Baseline rd. tonight. I tried to get away from the crowd, ended up w/ 90.
-
If anyone was walking off the lake on Baseline last night and wondering what idiot left his lights on, that was me...😖
Nothing like getting back to a dead battery at 11:30!!! 😂 And to whomever you were that gave me a jump after you came off the ice, thanks again if you’re on here!! I definitely appreciate it!
-
I saw the lights on!! And I was thinking man that LED will drain that battery fast. Glad someone was there to give you a jump. We ended with 74 between me and my brother last night. Was his first time out and took him a bit to get the knack of it for hooking them.
-
I saw the lights on!! And I was thinking man that LED will drain that battery fast. Glad someone was there to give you a jump. We ended with 74 between me and my brother last night. Was his first time out and took him a bit to get the knack of it for hooking them.
The amazing thing is, it lasted 6 hrs until i came off the ice and walked up and hit the door unlock button. Almost as if it did it just to spite me. I mustve accidentally hit the toggle when i was getting out....🤦🏻
-
Tonight was tough for us! Only ended with 5 lol and 1 nice perch. Saw alot of people on the north end tonight when we left.
-
Tough night for my wife and I as well. We fished the second bay and caught 14 fish. Marked plenty of fish just couldn't get them to bite.
-
Boy I'm glad I didn't go then. I figured their would be a lot of people free fishing weekend and all.
-
There was about 20 shanties off Baseline tonight. It was a tough bite, I ended up w/ 87 . I also walked farther than anyone else tonight, looking for the bigger smelt. I did not find them, but for about 1/2 hr. I had one of the hottest bites I have ever seen on Gull !
-
How much ice is there and what are the snow/slush conditions? Any machines on the lake yet?
-
I did my yet this season last night at Baseline. 65! Still knocking some rust off.
They were steady for me but never on fire.
Dang they are tiny...
(https://i.postimg.cc/RJh9fz2M/20210213-233112.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RJh9fz2M)
-
My wife caught this smelt. It was a little over 6"!
(https://i.postimg.cc/svVhGmY6/PXL-20210213-232724277.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/svVhGmY6)
-
That is the size we are looking for. Were you on the north end of lake or south
-
Are you guys using any kind of strike indicator? Also, how do you tie the drop loop?
-
Baseline
-
(https://i.postimg.cc/S2DRRJz3/20210214-225951.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/S2DRRJz3)
-
Are you guys using any kind of strike indicator? Also, how do you tie the drop loop?
I'm using a 58" Patriot ultra light rod. No spring bobber needed. As for the drop loop I just tie a double overhand knot (Surgeons knot) & try to keep it no longer than an inch. I space my flies about 10" apart. As for fishing tonight; Smelt jr. let me fish w/ him. He had 54, I had 123. He wanted to try something,just to prove that you can catch these small smelt if you pay attention. He was using a regular ultra light 4' spinning rod spooled w/ 10 lb. test & was using #14 smelt flies. Granted,I caught more than twice as many, but he did pretty good. Tried to get him to use one of my rods ,but he wanted to see what he could do. WaterfowlNut , glad I got to meet you, hope to see you out there again soon.
-
Great to meet you and your son as well! Thanks for the advice and I will surly meet you out there again.
-
For those of you that are new and feeling intimidated by the set up. I use my ultralite spinning rod 26". No strike indicator, one glow hali and no other hooks. Tip it with two spikes and do just fine. Just a lantern will work if you don't have a submersible light. Or find a fellow fisherman with a light and ask if he minds that you set up 10 yards away. Honestly the fish are not hard to find. On a calm 30 degree evening you will find plenty of company surrounded by there lanterns, set up with out all the fancy gear and shanties. They key is you need to either see or feel the bite.
-
If anyone was walking off the lake on Baseline last night and wondering what idiot left his lights on, that was me...😖
Nothing like getting back to a dead battery at 11:30!!! 😂 And to whomever you were that gave me a jump after you came off the ice, thanks again if you’re on here!! I definitely appreciate it!
I parked on the opposite side of the road from ya around 6:10pm Friday night....noticed your LED bar was on. Sorry about that.....plus side is you lit the road for the walk back for everyone that left prior to you. Fishing was terrible for me as well. Only caught 6 of those french fry size smelt. Talked to Smeltbuster 30yds away and his graph was lit up like a Chirstmas Tree. I do not have a green light that bright and that's what me and my bro figured the issue was. Oh well....always a good time on Gull.
-
Anybody gonna be out tonight? Thinking about going over and testing my luck. How's the north end coming along?
-
I parked on the opposite side of the road from ya around 6:10pm Friday night....noticed your LED bar was on. Sorry about that.....plus side is you lit the road for the walk back for everyone that left prior to you. Fishing was terrible for me as well. Only caught 6 of those french fry size smelt. Talked to Smeltbuster 30yds away and his graph was lit up like a Chirstmas Tree. I do not have a green light that bright and that's what me and my bro figured the issue was. Oh well....always a good time on Gull.
I was in the shanty right by Smeltbuster. My light was broke and he was kind enough to let me sneak in on the edge of his light once he made sure my flasher didn’t interfere with his. He offered me plenty of pointers, but i only managed 30 of the little guys. Thanks again SB!!
And I’m glad the light was at least useful for people and not a nuisance.
-
Took the night off from fishing to tie a bunch of flies. For any of you that want to know how I tie my smelt rigs, I posted a video on a FB page"Michigan Smelt fishing". It is my 1st. attempt at a video, so go easy on me ! Posted it because I get a ton of people wanting to know how I do it. It is very simple once you do it a couple of times. Also, I have to agree w/ what "Fish killa" posted earlier. A simple set up works just fine. Seeing the light bite of smelt is the key to catching them.Have plenty of light on your rod tip & watch for the slightest movement. Hold onto your rod at all times or rest it on a bucket w/ your hand on it.
-
There was a pretty solid bite last night. Left with 20 but spent my time teaching the wife how to catch the lil boogers. What a wild surprise at 9 when we flipped the shack to head home.
-
My setup for smelt is a very light tipped short ice rod. Then I tie 2 very small Marmoska jig up the line above a Halis jig. Tip all of them with a spike.
-
Although im not a pro,my setup is a 30" ht ice blue with a inline reel with 2 size 18 hooks with a hali on bottom that i have switched out the stock hook with a size 18 hook.i hold my rod the whole time and never set it down until i pack up.theres been a few night where i catch them with no bait on the hook even.smelt have great eyesight im thinking.
-
Although im not a pro,my setup is a 30" ht ice blue with a inline reel with 2 size 18 hooks with a hali on bottom that i have switched out the stock hook with a size 18 hook.i hold my rod the whole time and never set it down until i pack up.theres been a few night where i catch them with no bait on the hook even.smelt have great eyesight im thinking.
He catches lots of Smelt, too !
-
Is baseline rd open to get a quad on or is the not ice not worthy
-
Is baseline rd open to get a quad on or is the not ice not worthy
[/quote I personally would not trust it. There are some thin spots out there. Guys were running snow dogs last week end.
-
How is the walking after the snow that came this week?
-
Any good ideas on where a guy might find some old downhill skis in the battle creek kalamazoo area for a decent price?
-
Three Lakes, close to Gull. I met a couple of gentlemen this evening and one mentioned issues with beaver's on these lakes. I would like connect with him if he is on this forum.
-
How is the walking after the snow that came this week?
There is about 8"-10" of powder puff snow off Baseline rd. not a terrible walk but it could be easier ! Pretty good trail going staight out. Did see Tracks from snowmachines but no sign of quads on the ice. The ice is sketchy in spots on the north end, Use caution & common sense. Smelt jr. & me fished together tonight & ended up w/ 114. The body count would have been much higher, but I let him use my rod so he could try to catch up ! Had fun & fishing w/ him again tomorrow night.
-
Any good ideas on where a guy might find some old downhill skis in the battle creek kalamazoo area for a decent price?
Call Goodwill stores and check with ski slopes.
-
I called a couple local goodwills neither had any and one of them told me I was the 3rd person to call and ask. Must be some other folks are looking to make a sled..
-
For skis try craigslist
-
Try Facebook market. Usually lots of options on there.
-
Fished Northend last night. We ended up with 192. The bite was not fast and furious but was steady most of the night. The snow is a pain to pull sleds out, but well worth the trek out...Tim.
-
Fished second bay Saturday night with my brother and other fishing buddy. We ended up with 216 on the ice. Steady all night and solid through the water column. My brother sight fished a few later into the night! Most were small, but good eaters. Great to see them back in decent numbers.
-
Been fishing almost every night. 26 of the past 32 nights. Fishing Baseline rd. & been having lots of 70-80 fish nights. Tues. night was a new PB for me 165 ! The shore ice is starting to go out. 4' or so from dry ground right now. 2-3" of slush but not too bad of a walk. Been fishing a long way from others & it is paying off. The "More the Merrier" attitude is not for Gull if you want to catch a good # of smelt. A few friends have been doing the same(getting away from the crowd) & have really seen a huge jump in #s of fish caught. With the warm weather,we dont have too many nights left. As for my smelt flies, I am trying to keep them stocked in shops close to Gull.Your best bet for getting them is Ken's sport shop in Delton, Gull Lake market on the north end & Capt. Mo's on south bay. Smitty's in Battle Creek also. If you want some Gull Lake smelt, you better get on the ice, Quick !
-
Shore ice Wed. night was about the same. Someone put a pallet in the water to help folks get on the ice w/ out getting wet feet. THANKS ! I will remove it when it is no longer useful. The slush turned to water & it was freezing real nice about 11:00 p.m. Wed. night. Ended the night w/ 103 smelt. My fishin partner had 56. If anyone found a jig box straight out from Baseline rd., either very late Tues. night,or on Wed.,please let me know. A guy on another page lost one Tues. night & I am trying to help him get it back. Ice is still fine for foot traffic. Leave the machines at home or you will bust up the shore ice & no one will be able to get out. Hoping for at least 3 more nights of fishing the north end & Baseline. Also heard that 2nd. bay is still producing fish but it has turned into a big party area on certain nights.
-
PLEASE BE CAREFUL, I WENT THRU THE ICE @ BASELINE RD. ! Tonight I was following the same trail out that I have been using for a week. Walked it at about 11:00 p.m. last night. I was about 4 houses south of baseline rd., about 50' depth.,roughly 200 yds. from shore. The ice went out from under me & I went up to my crotch. No cracking, no warning. It was a soft spot from a spring. I did mark the hole w/ a small tree branch. I always have one in my sled. Stuck around the launch for a while after I got loaded up to warn others. They went out anyways. Would have been my 29th. trip in 35 nights this year.
-
Glad you got out safe! I went through at union lake south of Battle Creek last year and its not fun. Are you done for the year Smeltbuster?
-
Glad you got out safe! I went through at union lake south of Battle Creek last year and its not fun. Are you done for the year Smeltbuster?
NO ! I am going to attempt 2nd. bay tomorrow night. if it gets cold & I can get someone to go w/ me,I will attempt Baseline again. It was a freak thing that happened. I will have a floatation suit next year.
-
I hear ya about the suit. I'd like to get one myself. Think I'm going to get ready to hang the ice gear up after Saturday morning. I'm getting the fever to get the boat out. Lol
-
I am so glad you made it out safely. I was in shock when you called and told me. I remember a couple of slushy spots last weekend out there. A warm sun and wind, will destroy the ice. Be safe
-
Bad news Smeltbuster, glad you are ok. I was out of Baseline last night but I stayed on the main trail and then followed an old snowmobile trail to deeper water. Had a soft spot under my feet next to one of my holes that developed after I set up. Went home with 34 smelt and 5 perch. Most likely the last trip at Baseline.
-
Anyone fish the 2nd bay last night? Fished Baseline last night but bite was slow (for us at least). After reports of soft spots and smeltbuster going thru my nights at baseline are done. Not worth swimming this time of year. 45 degrees, sun and wind forecast ice will start going fast.
-
Just to let ya all know, I am done Smelt fishing for the year. I was extremely Lucky last night. Sad to see that its almost over, but very happy to see that some folks can learn from my mishap. If you go,please be careful. I ended my season w/ 1,817 smelt that I caught. That is a great season as far as I'm concerned. Most of my smelt are given to folks that cant fish or to folks that drive a long distance to fish w/ me. The folks that cant fish, get their smelt cleaned & bagged. Its a Win-Win for a everyone ! Stay Safe out there ! Phil
-
I have a question on how big the lakers get in Gull Lake? I figure you smelt guys would know.
Thanks
-
I have a question on how big the lakers get in Gull Lake? I figure you smelt guys would know.
Thanks
Years ago they got up to 20 lbs. or so,but not now. Most are brood stock that get planted now days. They run between 27"-31". The heaviest one we have caught in the past few years was close to 15lbs., most are under 8lbs.. One of the biggest problems w/ the lakers being so skinny is the fact their stomachs are usually full of artificial baits. I caught a 30"er this past summer that weighed right around 7 lbs. & it had 6 Senko worms in it, & 1 Smelt. The brood stock fish are lazy & those baits that are discarded by bass fishermen are just floating ,down by the thermocline.An easy meal for them.In early spring the # of plastics laying on the bottom is very easy to see.Many are NOT biodegradable. In the past 5 or so years we have caught 4 pike that had plastics in them. It is a real problem in Gull & I am sure other lakes too.Unfortunately the problem is not going to go away, especially when there are 4-6 tournaments every week on Gull. Also,it is not just fishermen causing the problem, 3 yrs. ago my son caught a Laker that had part of an Adult sex toy in its stomach ! True Story !
-
Even though Gull is wide open, Bob & me managed to catch 101 Smelt last night on my Toon. Pretty much the same tactics as ice fishing, but you need a calm night & 2 anchors.You also cannot move around a lot as it makes it hard to see the bites. Ran the green light 6' down. All the fish we caught were at least 50' down in 92' of water. Marked very few high fish. I know its not ice fishing,but it was fun !
-
Smelt fishing open water was sonething i was always curious about.... Were youbstill using ice rods for the sensitivity?
-
Smelt fishing open water was sonething i was always curious about.... Were youbstill using ice rods for the sensitivity?
Yes. You have to be very still. If the boat moves it makes it tough to see the bites. If you are on FB, check out the "Michigan Smelt Fishing " page. You can scroll down through the posts & get some ideas. I have posted a ton of info on that page, along w/ several pics. I also have a short video on how I tie my smelt rigs.
-
Got rid of facebook during the trump amd hillary election and never looked back.... Too much whining and crying for me...
-
Got rid of facebook during the trump amd hillary election and never looked back.... Too much whining and crying for me...
I agree but Facebook groups have their place and are very useful for ice fishing. But even that has gotten to be a bit of bickering over nothing.